{"id":67347,"date":"2024-01-08T23:03:53","date_gmt":"2024-01-08T23:03:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/01\/08\/jetblue-ceo-robin-hayes-retiring-joanna-geraghty-to-be-1st-woman-ceo-at-major-us-carrier-the-points-guy\/"},"modified":"2024-01-08T23:03:53","modified_gmt":"2024-01-08T23:03:53","slug":"jetblue-ceo-robin-hayes-retiring-joanna-geraghty-to-be-1st-woman-ceo-at-major-us-carrier-the-points-guy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/01\/08\/jetblue-ceo-robin-hayes-retiring-joanna-geraghty-to-be-1st-woman-ceo-at-major-us-carrier-the-points-guy\/","title":{"rendered":"JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes retiring; Joanna Geraghty to be 1st woman CEO at major US carrier &#8211; The Points Guy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Longtime JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes will retire, the airline announced Monday, and will be succeeded by airline president Joanna Geraghty.<\/p>\n<p>Hayes, who is 57, will step down effective Feb .12, the airline said, citing health reasons.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve loved working in this industry,&#8221; Hayes said in a statement. &#8220;However, the extraordinary challenges and pressure of this job have taken their toll, and on the advice of my doctor and after talking to my wife, it&#8217;s time I put more focus on my health and well-being.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><b>Want more aviation news? <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/aviation-newsletter\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Sign up for TPG&#8217;s free biweekly Aviation newsletter<\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Geraghty, who has been with JetBlue for nearly 20 years, will be the first woman to lead a major U.S. airline.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m so proud of what we&#8217;ve accomplished over the last 20-plus years, and I am looking forward to building on this momentum as we execute on our strategic initiatives, return to profitable growth, and generate sustainable value for our shareholders and all our stakeholders,&#8221; Geraghty said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Hayes has helmed the New York-based carrier since early 2015. He joined the airline in 2008 after working at British Airways as executive vice president for the Americas.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-4252866712 tpg-figure\">\n<div style=\"padding-top:0\" class=\"jsx-36530878 full-width-auto-height-image\"><span style=\"box-sizing:border-box;display:block;overflow:hidden;width:initial;height:initial;background:none;opacity:1;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;position:relative\"><span style=\"box-sizing:border-box;display:block;width:initial;height:initial;background:none;opacity:1;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;padding-top:66.66666666666666%\"\/><noscript><img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"responsive\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;border:none;margin:auto;display:block;width:0;height:0;min-width:100%;max-width:100%;min-height:100%;max-height:100%\" sizes=\"100vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2024\/01\/JetBlue-A321LR-Boston-Press-Conference-8.jpg?width=640 640w, https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2024\/01\/JetBlue-A321LR-Boston-Press-Conference-8.jpg?width=750 750w, https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2024\/01\/JetBlue-A321LR-Boston-Press-Conference-8.jpg?width=828 828w, https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2024\/01\/JetBlue-A321LR-Boston-Press-Conference-8.jpg?width=1080 1080w, https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2024\/01\/JetBlue-A321LR-Boston-Press-Conference-8.jpg?width=1200 1200w, https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2024\/01\/JetBlue-A321LR-Boston-Press-Conference-8.jpg?width=1920 1920w, https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2024\/01\/JetBlue-A321LR-Boston-Press-Conference-8.jpg?width=2048 2048w, https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2024\/01\/JetBlue-A321LR-Boston-Press-Conference-8.jpg?width=3840 3840w\" src=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2024\/01\/JetBlue-A321LR-Boston-Press-Conference-8.jpg?width=3840\"\/><\/noscript><\/span><\/div><figcaption class=\"jsx-4252866712 figcaption\">JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes speaks in Boston ahead of the airline&#8217;s inaugural service to London in 2022. DAVID SLOTNICK\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>During his time at JetBlue, through stints as chief commercial officer, president and, eventually, chief executive, Hayes led the charge to expand and grow the airline beyond a small, quirky boutique carrier. He led the development and expansion of the airline&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/reviews\/jetblue-mint-suite-a321neo\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mint business-class product<\/a>, along with the airline&#8217;s first routes to Europe.<\/p>\n<p>Hayes also spearheaded efforts to grow the airline through partnerships and acquisitions. Under Hayes, JetBlue tried to buy Virgin America in 2016, but was eventually outbid by Alaska Airlines.<\/p>\n<div class=\"&#10;        EmailSignUp_container__70lh2&#10;        undefined&#10;        EmailSignUp_isLoading__zGkU5&#10;      \"><picture class=\"EmailSignUp_graphic__AEA5s\"><source media=\"screen and (max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"\/images\/EmailSignUp\/daily-mob.svg\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/images\/EmailSignUp\/daily-dt.svg\"\/><\/picture>\n<div class=\"EmailSignUp_form__cnneL\">\n<p>Daily Newsletter<\/p>\n<p>Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter<\/p>\n<p>Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG\u2019s experts<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In 2020, JetBlue and American Airlines announced the Northeast Alliance, a close codeshare and frequent flyer partnership that came to define the airlines&#8217; respective domestic networks over the next two years. The partnership was <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/news\/northeast-alliance-trial-american-airlines-jetblue-begins\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">challenged by the Department of Justice<\/a> under the Biden Administration and <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/news\/northeast-alliance-ending-what-to-know\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">dismantled in 2023<\/a> after<a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/news\/american-airlines-jetblue-northeast-alliance-blocked\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> a judge ruled that it was anti-competitive<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Hayes&#8217; departure comes at an inflection point for the airline as it awaits the decision in another antitrust trial, challenging its planned acquisition of Spirit Airlines.<\/p>\n<p>In that case, which <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/news\/jetblue-spirit-trial-ends-closing-arguments\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">was heard in federal District Court in Boston late last year<\/a>, JetBlue argued that it <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/news\/jetblue-spirit-antitrust-trial-alaska-airines-robin-hayes\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">needed to grow through the merger<\/a> in order to compete effectively with the &#8220;big 4&#8221; airlines that dominate 80% of the U.S. market \u2014 American, Delta, United and Southwest. By acquiring Spirit&#8217;s aircraft and absorbing its workforce, JetBlue could effectively double in size to become the fifth-largest U.S. carrier.<\/p>\n<p>The DOJ, however, <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/news\/jetblue-spirit-merger-antitrust-trial-begins\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">argued that removing Spirit from the market<\/a> would cause the lowest fares to rise. JetBlue and Spirit countered that they could bring median fares down by competing effectively against the big 4.<\/p>\n<p>JetBlue has not said what it would do if the merger is blocked. Regardless of the outcome, it will be on Geraghty to lead the airline forward.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-4252866712 tpg-figure\">\n<div style=\"padding-top:0\" class=\"jsx-36530878 full-width-auto-height-image\"><span style=\"box-sizing:border-box;display:block;overflow:hidden;width:initial;height:initial;background:none;opacity:1;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;position:relative\"><span style=\"box-sizing:border-box;display:block;width:initial;height:initial;background:none;opacity:1;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;padding-top:66.66666666666666%\"\/><img alt=\"\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"responsive\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;border:none;margin:auto;display:block;width:0;height:0;min-width:100%;max-width:100%;min-height:100%;max-height:100%\"\/><noscript><img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"responsive\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;border:none;margin:auto;display:block;width:0;height:0;min-width:100%;max-width:100%;min-height:100%;max-height:100%\" sizes=\"100vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2024\/01\/Joanna-Geraghty-1.jpg?width=640 640w, https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2024\/01\/Joanna-Geraghty-1.jpg?width=750 750w, https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2024\/01\/Joanna-Geraghty-1.jpg?width=828 828w, https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2024\/01\/Joanna-Geraghty-1.jpg?width=1080 1080w, https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2024\/01\/Joanna-Geraghty-1.jpg?width=1200 1200w, https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2024\/01\/Joanna-Geraghty-1.jpg?width=1920 1920w, https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2024\/01\/Joanna-Geraghty-1.jpg?width=2048 2048w, https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2024\/01\/Joanna-Geraghty-1.jpg?width=3840 3840w\" src=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2024\/01\/Joanna-Geraghty-1.jpg?width=3840\"\/><\/noscript><\/span><\/div><figcaption class=\"jsx-4252866712 figcaption\">JetBlue&#8217;s president Joanna Geraghty speaking at London&#8217;s Gatwick airport after the airline&#8217;s inaugural flight from New York-JFK in 2021. DAVID SLOTNICK\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Hayes and Geraghty together maneuvered JetBlue through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Geraghty has been actively involved with the day-to-day operation of the airline, as well as strategic planning, Hayes said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>In recent years, JetBlue has put Geraghty forward increasingly as a face of the airline, tapping her to liaise with media, partners and other stakeholders. She has flown on <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/news\/jetblue-airways-new-york-amsterdam\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">inaugural flights<\/a> and engaged with partners on the airline&#8217;s transatlantic expansion. She has been arguably more outspoken than Hayes as the airline began its bid to acquire Spirit, too.<\/p>\n<p>Geraghty, 51, began her career as an attorney and was a partner at the law firm Holland &amp; Knight before joining JetBlue as a lawyer in 2005.<\/p>\n<p><b>Related reading:<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/news\/jetblue-ceo-retire-robin-hayes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Longtime JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes will retire, the airline announced Monday, and will be succeeded by airline president Joanna Geraghty. Hayes, who is 57, will step down effective Feb .12, the airline said, citing health reasons. &#8220;I&#8217;ve loved working in this industry,&#8221; Hayes said in a statement. &#8220;However, the extraordinary challenges and pressure of this [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":67348,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-67347","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-travel"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67347","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67347"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67347\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67348"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67347"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67347"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67347"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}